Chapter Two
The Returner's Hideout
"They are putting their hope in one girl, Akin, one girl! Think of it!" Gerard was a tall man with a brown hair, a scruffy beard, and eyes that were like two pools of muddy, yet smooth water.
"It is rather ridiculous." The woman sitting next to Gerard said. Her name was Lana. She too was tall, with auburn hair and freckled skin. "Just think! It's the same as if Banon were to put his trust in me to defeat the empire all by myself!"
"You don't have to tell me!" Akin assured his two friends. "Though, Lana, I'm afraid your comparison is a bit off. This girl has power, they say, and I believe them."
"I have power too! And if she is so very powerful, then why are they escorting her around like she can't protect herself?" Lana demanded.
"You're just jealous." Akin teased. He, like his two friends, was tall. His hair was smooth and wavy, a graying brown. His face was still young looking, though he was nearly 51.
"What?" Lana looked shocked. "You honestly think this is abou-"
"I was only joking, Lana!" Akin assured her. "You really ought to stop being so serious."
"This is a serious matter." Lana replied, tersely. "The fate of-" She stopped short. "It's her!" Lana nodded toward a green haired girl who walked shyly into the dining area. Akin, Lana, and Gerard had been having a midnight snack that had quickly turned into a gossip meeting. They were in the dining room of the Returner's hideout. They hadn't expected the topic of their conversation to enter the room and they were a bit surprised to see the mysterious woman known as Terra. Terra looked nervously around the room, then spotted the three. She waved, shyly, and Akin smiled, motioning for her to come sit at the table. Terra smiled , almost weakly, back, then walked over and sat two chairs away from Akin.
"Hello! Did we wake you?" Akin wondered. "I'm Akin, and I'm terribly sorry if we disturbed your sleep!"
"No-no, that's okay!" Terra assured him, quietly. "I just felt like-like getting up, that's all."
"This is Lana and this is Gerard, her boyfriend." Akin smiled at Terra as he spoke.
"Hello." Terra waved at the two from across the table. "I'm Terra."
"Nice to meet you." Gerard smiled. "Did you dye your hair?"
"No." Terra said, blushing. "At least, I don't think so....You see, I-I really don't remember because..." Her voice trailed off. "It's a long story." She said, finally, as she bit her lip and looked away.
"We've got time." Lana said, seriously. Akin shot her a look.
"Oh." Terra said, surprised. "Well, I guess I...."
"You needing tell us if you don't wish to, um, Terra." Gerard said, smiling at her.
"No, that's okay, I-"
"Can you really use magic?" Lana asked, suddenly. Akin and Gerard both glared at her. She made a face at them, then turned her attention to Terra.
"Well, I-" Terra's face was bright red.
"I heard you wiped out almost all of the Returners in Narsche!" Lana ignored the stares of Gerard and Akin as she spoke.
"I-I-" Terra's eyes were wide with a sort of fear. Akin thought he saw tears running down her red cheeks. "I-I-I'll explain it all later. I-I need some-some air. Excuse me, please!" The girl stood and rushed away, knocking her chair over as she fled. Lana's mouth gaped at the girl.
"What's wrong with her?" She wondered. Akin and Gerard glared at her.
"Lana you really needn't be so rough with the girl. It wasn't her idea to save the world, but Banon's! She's probably scared to death." Gerard rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But I must admit it was disheartening. She cannot save us from the empire. I pity the girl, I really do."
"You pity everyone!" Lana snapped. "You're too damn honorable!" She sighed, and Gerard winced.
"That wasn't lady like." He commented. "If I angered you I apologize."
"Never mind." Lana said, slowly. "But the point is, we're fighting a losing battle. I for one am not going to put my trust in a girl with green hair and magical abilities."
"I must agree." Akin said. "Even if her power is more immense than we can imagine, mass destruction will not work. Innocent lives will be lost if the route of destruction is chosen. I for one think assassination is a better plan."
"What?" Lana perked up, Akin's words caught her interest.
"It would be difficult, but it could be done." Gerard said, slowly.
"My thoughts exactly." Akin agreed. "And the three of us are the perfect people to do it."
"There I must disagree." Gerard said, slowly. "What can we do?"
"I'm just confused! Share your knowledge, guys!" Lana frowned, a confused look on her face.
"A large number would not be able to sneak in, they would be to noticeable." Akin declared. "A small number, however, could sneak in."
"Perhaps." Gerard said, doubtfully.
"I think it's a good idea." Lana said. "We start tomorrow?"
"No." Akin shook his head. "Don't be silly. It will take time. We will need to somehow establish ourselves as loyal citizens, you and Gerard should get married, I should pretend to be your father, Lana.....No, not tomorrow. We must start out soon, but it will be awhile before we can act."
"Fine, I'm all for it!" Lana exclaimed, a little too loudly.
"Quiet, Lana, please!" Gerard whispered. "But I myself am warming to the idea as well."
"It is settled then!" Akin declared. "The Returners are failing and we will break off from them and plan to assassinate the emperor, his three generals, and anyone else who poses a threat."
"Agreed." Lana said, smiling.
"Agreed." Gerard added. Akin smiled.
"Then I too, must say: Agreed!"
The Returner's Hideout
"They are putting their hope in one girl, Akin, one girl! Think of it!" Gerard was a tall man with a brown hair, a scruffy beard, and eyes that were like two pools of muddy, yet smooth water.
"It is rather ridiculous." The woman sitting next to Gerard said. Her name was Lana. She too was tall, with auburn hair and freckled skin. "Just think! It's the same as if Banon were to put his trust in me to defeat the empire all by myself!"
"You don't have to tell me!" Akin assured his two friends. "Though, Lana, I'm afraid your comparison is a bit off. This girl has power, they say, and I believe them."
"I have power too! And if she is so very powerful, then why are they escorting her around like she can't protect herself?" Lana demanded.
"You're just jealous." Akin teased. He, like his two friends, was tall. His hair was smooth and wavy, a graying brown. His face was still young looking, though he was nearly 51.
"What?" Lana looked shocked. "You honestly think this is abou-"
"I was only joking, Lana!" Akin assured her. "You really ought to stop being so serious."
"This is a serious matter." Lana replied, tersely. "The fate of-" She stopped short. "It's her!" Lana nodded toward a green haired girl who walked shyly into the dining area. Akin, Lana, and Gerard had been having a midnight snack that had quickly turned into a gossip meeting. They were in the dining room of the Returner's hideout. They hadn't expected the topic of their conversation to enter the room and they were a bit surprised to see the mysterious woman known as Terra. Terra looked nervously around the room, then spotted the three. She waved, shyly, and Akin smiled, motioning for her to come sit at the table. Terra smiled , almost weakly, back, then walked over and sat two chairs away from Akin.
"Hello! Did we wake you?" Akin wondered. "I'm Akin, and I'm terribly sorry if we disturbed your sleep!"
"No-no, that's okay!" Terra assured him, quietly. "I just felt like-like getting up, that's all."
"This is Lana and this is Gerard, her boyfriend." Akin smiled at Terra as he spoke.
"Hello." Terra waved at the two from across the table. "I'm Terra."
"Nice to meet you." Gerard smiled. "Did you dye your hair?"
"No." Terra said, blushing. "At least, I don't think so....You see, I-I really don't remember because..." Her voice trailed off. "It's a long story." She said, finally, as she bit her lip and looked away.
"We've got time." Lana said, seriously. Akin shot her a look.
"Oh." Terra said, surprised. "Well, I guess I...."
"You needing tell us if you don't wish to, um, Terra." Gerard said, smiling at her.
"No, that's okay, I-"
"Can you really use magic?" Lana asked, suddenly. Akin and Gerard both glared at her. She made a face at them, then turned her attention to Terra.
"Well, I-" Terra's face was bright red.
"I heard you wiped out almost all of the Returners in Narsche!" Lana ignored the stares of Gerard and Akin as she spoke.
"I-I-" Terra's eyes were wide with a sort of fear. Akin thought he saw tears running down her red cheeks. "I-I-I'll explain it all later. I-I need some-some air. Excuse me, please!" The girl stood and rushed away, knocking her chair over as she fled. Lana's mouth gaped at the girl.
"What's wrong with her?" She wondered. Akin and Gerard glared at her.
"Lana you really needn't be so rough with the girl. It wasn't her idea to save the world, but Banon's! She's probably scared to death." Gerard rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But I must admit it was disheartening. She cannot save us from the empire. I pity the girl, I really do."
"You pity everyone!" Lana snapped. "You're too damn honorable!" She sighed, and Gerard winced.
"That wasn't lady like." He commented. "If I angered you I apologize."
"Never mind." Lana said, slowly. "But the point is, we're fighting a losing battle. I for one am not going to put my trust in a girl with green hair and magical abilities."
"I must agree." Akin said. "Even if her power is more immense than we can imagine, mass destruction will not work. Innocent lives will be lost if the route of destruction is chosen. I for one think assassination is a better plan."
"What?" Lana perked up, Akin's words caught her interest.
"It would be difficult, but it could be done." Gerard said, slowly.
"My thoughts exactly." Akin agreed. "And the three of us are the perfect people to do it."
"There I must disagree." Gerard said, slowly. "What can we do?"
"I'm just confused! Share your knowledge, guys!" Lana frowned, a confused look on her face.
"A large number would not be able to sneak in, they would be to noticeable." Akin declared. "A small number, however, could sneak in."
"Perhaps." Gerard said, doubtfully.
"I think it's a good idea." Lana said. "We start tomorrow?"
"No." Akin shook his head. "Don't be silly. It will take time. We will need to somehow establish ourselves as loyal citizens, you and Gerard should get married, I should pretend to be your father, Lana.....No, not tomorrow. We must start out soon, but it will be awhile before we can act."
"Fine, I'm all for it!" Lana exclaimed, a little too loudly.
"Quiet, Lana, please!" Gerard whispered. "But I myself am warming to the idea as well."
"It is settled then!" Akin declared. "The Returners are failing and we will break off from them and plan to assassinate the emperor, his three generals, and anyone else who poses a threat."
"Agreed." Lana said, smiling.
"Agreed." Gerard added. Akin smiled.
"Then I too, must say: Agreed!"